


Somebody’s Back's Story

by ShamanicShaymin



Category: Cuphead (Video Game)
Genre: Accidental Death, Anal Sex, Backstory, Bad Puns, Beppi's Past is Not Funny, Biting, Bondage, Cagney has male and female organs, Circus Brutality, Comfort Sex, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hand Jobs, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Accidental Suicide, Implied/Referenced Animal Abuse, Implied/Referenced Bullying, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Torture, Implied/Referenced Whipping, M/M, Oral Sex, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Cagney Carnation, Sad Clown, Scars, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, Vines, Wet pinecone dick, Xenophilia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-27
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-11-06 09:22:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17937128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShamanicShaymin/pseuds/ShamanicShaymin
Summary: Cagney and Beppi agree to a sexual romp in the woods to forget their troubles for a while before their souls are dragged to Inkwell Hell. But even a cheerful and fun-loving clown such as Beppi can't hide his scars—physical and emotional—for long.





	Somebody’s Back's Story

**Author's Note:**

> Originally, this was supposed to be plotless h/c smut, with Beppi breaking down in the middle because he was terrified of going to hell, then being comforted by Cagney. I ended up giving him scars because hey, I'm a sucker for scars. Then I wondered where the scars came from, and oops, I accidentally gave Beppi a tragic backstory. This wasn't supposed to happen, I swear!
> 
> While most of the heavy subject matter is referenced/talked about rather than shown, please take heed of the warnings to be safe.

Beppi wanted to make Cagney smile, even if it wasn't exactly a conventional way how. If they were going to spend the rest of their days in Inkwell Hell, why spend their final night crying about it? As a carnie always said, the show must go on.

"Ya sure you wanna do this with me?" Cagney asked, awkwardly staring at the ground. "I mean, I ain't… I haven't been the nicest guy. I deserve what I'm gonna get, ya know?"

"Of course I do!" Beppi exclaimed, taking the flower's hands. "There's an Irish saying… you want to know how it goes?"

"How?"

The clown cleared his throat:

"'If I got a ticket to heaven, and you didn't get one too… then I'd tear up my ticket and go to hell with you.'" He planted a kiss on the flower's knuckle.

"I… dammit, Beppi. You really are a moron." Despite his words, an obvious blush bloomed across Cagney's cheeks. He took Beppi deep into the woods until they found his favorite clearing—the soil and shadows of the trees were as dark as the night sky, but the grass glowed like silver from the faint light of the stars and moon. It was far enough from civilization to not disturb any sleeping creatures, but it also had plenty of space for him to stretch his vines and do… other activities with. The usual cockiness of the flower's expression was replaced with a vulnerable tenderness… where on earth could he start? Leave it to Beppi to take charge—the clown cupped his partner's face and pulled him in for an enthusiastic kiss. After an astonished muffle, Cagney fluttered his eyes shut and wrapped his large hands around Beppi, supporting him as he returned his affection with equal zest.

"Ahh..." Beppi sighed. "...What do you call a flower who is a brilliant kisser?"

"Beats me. Though seriously, flattery will get you nowhere." Cagney chuckled.

"A tu-lip!"

Cagney scowled and groaned, and Beppi was beside himself with laughter at his reaction. This was going to be a long night indeed, but there was no one else he'd rather spend it with.

"I'll have ya know, I'm better than any tulip!" said Cagney. To prove it, he showered Beppi in a flurry of furious kisses: lips, cheeks, jaw, forehead, nose, head… even his hat got one before he tossed it aside like a frisbee. Beppi's giggles turned into soft sounds of pleasure, and the clown clearly enjoyed the attention his little joke brought him. He submitted as Cagney pushed his mouth against his neck… a gasp pursed from the clown's lips as the flower's fangs grazed his skin. The flower looked sheepish and mumbled an apology, but before he could withdraw, Beppi grabbed him and buried him against his throat, eager for that sharp delicious heat. A tentative nibble followed along with a series of bolder nips that Beppi gobbled up like spicy candies.

"More! More!" The clown cheered. "Harder!"

 _Kinky bastard,_ Cagney thought. It was amazing Beppi's head didn't shift into a balloon and fly away with the elation he was having, or pop from the pressure of his fangs. Even so, the flower drank up the delightful squeal his partner made, sinking his teeth as hard as he can. He licked at the metallic tinge of the bite until it stopped bleeding, then nuzzled the mark left on his skin. Beppi cooed from the flower's affection, stroking his velvety petals in admiration.

"How do you get this off?" Cagney asked, tugging the clown's frilled collar.

"Here!" Beppi rolled over and pointed to a zipper at the back of his suit. He batted Cagney's hand away: "Ah ah ah! With your _mouth."_

"Heh, I guess at this point, I shouldn't be surprised." His teeth possessed the zipper easily and pulled it down as far as it would go. What did surprise Cagney was the sight of Beppi's back; his powder-white skin had been clustered with hideous scars. Small vein-like lesions and large pink gashes crisscrossed his flesh, and patches of dull raspberry crunched his sides like a poorly stitched quilt.

"Beppi! What happened to you?"

"Huh? Oh, you mean my scars!" Beppi laughed. "I'm just fine. Those are just accidents! Tricks gone wrong during rehearsal, you know? Burns here and there, lions and tigers and bears, getting beaten up by two cup boys, the usual circus deal! Well, maybe not the cups. Forget about it, it's so boring! Let's go back to the fun stuff!"

"If you say so..." Cagney replied, his voice soft with concern. Sure, accidents were likely. Life as a carnie wasn't a hazard-free job. But most of those marks looked too… deliberate. Not to mention Beppi never bullied or pranked any of the animals at the circus, and the balloon dogs, penguins, and Charlie Horse were too fond of him and wouldn't dream of retaliating against him. The two cups… what were their names? Cupman and Mughead? As annoying as they were, Beppi had only just met them today, so they couldn't have left scars as old as the ones he already had. But the clown didn't seem keen on discussing the issue further, so he let it go for now.

"Helloooooooo! Cagney!" Beppi called, waving his arm in front of his face. "What did the clown say when he saw his flower date?"

"Flower you doin'?" Cagney guessed. Beppi giggled, clearly fond of his partner's answer.

"Close, but not quite." Beppi grinned. "He said, ‘I think you're dandy, and I'm not lion!'"

"Ugggh... Hold still, will ya?"

Instead of removing the suit right away however, the flower trailed kisses down Beppi's back starting from the top. Beppi murmured in satisfaction as his partner's lips explored the exposed skin, which made no discrimination between his bumpy scars and the smoothness of the rest of his body. He purred as Cagney slipped his hands beneath the suit to massage him—the flower was twice his size, so his touch was like being blanketed by giant palm leaves. His fingers were soft, yet wound as tight as any of his vines as they kneaded his shoulders and hit all the right spots. Beppi snuggled against Cagney's palm, his clothes forgotten as his partner used his free hand to peel them off.

Beppi's front had far fewer scars than his back; it had only several harmless scratches and burns that weren't serious. Like his suit, his nipples were different colors—one was red, and the other blue. This duality was shared with the head of his cock, which gleamed with abashed want from his pale foreskin. Cagney cupped the clown's balls, but purposely left the shaft alone to focus on his nipples—Beppi writhed and whimpered and tried to grind against him, but the flower held him firmly, pinning him down on the grass and lapping at his chest. The taste and scent of the carnival followed Beppi, involving a mixture of bubblegum and hot dogs and peppermint and soda. The red nipple became a hard nub in the flower's mouth, and he switched to the blue one to do the same for it.

"Cagney… Cagney please…!" Beppi gasped.

"Answer my riddle and I'll give ya what ya want," Cagney smirked with fangs shining. "What happened when the clown asked the flower for a favor?"

"He…" A light-bulb went off in Beppi's head and he grinned back. "He _rose_ to the occasion!"

"Exactly." Cagney lowered himself between Beppi's legs and glided his tongue over his shaft. The clown couldn't help crying out—with great effort he forced himself to keep still so the flower could better indulge in him, breaths heaving in and out and his heart hammering like mad. Cagney left no bump and ridge dry, stroking each part of his erection and circling the ridge of his foreskin. He rolled one of his balls into his mouth, soaking it with a gentle suck—the heat, musk, and salt pleased Cagney, so not only did he give the ball's twin the same tantalizing treatment, he exhaled slowly and succumbed and swallowed both. Beppi squirmed against the grass, his cock twitching in thirst as he sat up and scrambled his hands over Cagney. A throaty moan passed his lips as he petted his flower friend, and he was careful to avoid grabbing his petals in his rapidly blossoming pleasure.

Cagney eventually took pity on the clown and coiled his tongue around his waiting shaft, climbing his way up until his lips seized the tip. He lapped at the salty droplets that emerged, spreading them so his partner would be wet enough to slide into his mouth easily. The flower dipped his head, finding it oddly rhythmic… a strained, weak hum escaped him as he lost himself to Beppi's cock, bobbing faster and faster as he possessed and was possessed by the scent of cotton candy and popcorn and funnel cake, the taste of salt and skin and _Beppi…_ the clown thrust to catch up with him, hips bucking wildly in desperation and ecstasy. The flower took it as a challenge, his lascivious muffling vibrating through the shaft until… until… until he finally triumphantly drank his seed, and Beppi collapsed against him with a low moan.

"Cagney… Cagney..."

"Here now..." Cagney carefully lowered the clown's shuddering form. "Wouldn't want ya to get pricked by my thorns after such a good time, right?"

"Oooh, speaking of prick…" Beppi gazed up at him with half-lidded eyes and a mischievous grin. "You haven't come yet, have you?"

"It's—It's not like it matters." Cagney flushed.

"Then we need to fix that..."

"I mean, as long as you're ha— _ohhhh!_ _"_ Beppi found an odd protrusion from Cagney's stem and caressed it with his fingers, watching it quiver. It reminded him of his own cock, except it was more cone-like and similar to a fruit than a cock. The petals coating the cone shimmered with a bright gradation of colors, ranging from lemon-yellow to hibiscus-pink to rich scarlet. They smelled sweet like honeysuckle and clear sticky nectar secreted from the tip. Beppi wasted no time sampling it; it was stronger and tangier than honey, and he licked his fingers of every drop. Pink rushed to Beppi's face, eyes meeting Cagney's as he continuing stroking the cone.

"O-Oh… Beppi, that feels wonderful…!" As Cagney praised him, he clawed his hands into the soil, rooting them into place. Vines sprouted all around the flower and his partner in a thick tangled mess. Thorns were kept as far from Beppi as possible, reserved only for the outermost edge of the clearing. The clown gripped the cone and the side of Cagney's stem to keep himself steady, all the while squeezing out more nectar and hurrying to sip it. The softest vines twirled around Beppi's legs, helping to spread him apart... a vine slicked with plant juice stopped short of his entrance—Beppi looked up at Cagney and nodded his approval. The clown mewled in rapture as it pushed itself inside of him, stretching his walls and filling him up. He dragged his tongue over the tip of Cagney's cone before plunging it past his lips with a famished hum.

_Crack!_

In the midst of his high, one of Cagney's vines whipped across a rotting log, snapping it in two. Beppi's eyes shot wide open and he didn't move. The initial pleasure the vine brought him transformed into an invasive stabbing pain. His walls tightened against it to push it out. His hands trembled.

_(no no no, this can't be happening, this can't be happening)_

"Beppi?"

_(i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry i'm sorry_

_please_

_i'm sorry)_

"Beppi, what happened? You gotta tell me!"

_(HELPHELPHELPHELPHELP)_

Cagney withdrew his vines and his hands reemerged from the ground. Beppi had crumbled into a tight ball, shaking and hugging his knees and hyper-aware he was completely naked. The flower called out to him, demanding him to answer—the clown mumbled frantic apologies. He attempted to touch his shoulder—Beppi screamed and wrenched away from him, bawling.

Cagney didn't know what to do.

"Beppi… please." The flower murmured. "I don't want to hurt you. I never _meant_ to hurt you. Forgive me… I know I get pretty loud, and I know I'm an ass, and you're one of the kindest people I've ever known. You gave me a chance and talked to me while I wanted the entire world to buzz off. I love you so much and I don't know how to tell you just how much you mean to me. Just… talk to me. Please come back to me."

For a moment, there was nothing but the clown's cries. But his wails grew shorter and his shaking lessened until he finally uncurled himself. Sniffling, Beppi padded out the grass until he found his hat, pulling out a handkerchief from it to wipe his eyes and blow his nose. He crawled back to Cagney's side, taking his hand as the flower returned his embrace.

"It's not your fault." Beppi hiccuped. "You did nothing wrong."

"Still…" Cagney gently stroked his back. "I need to know what scared you."

"I thought I heard something. It was… it was..." Beppi chuckled. "I guess I can't hide it anymore, can I?"

"Hide what, Beppi?"

The clown lay against his partner's stem, avoiding the thorns.

"I'd always wanted to join the circus," he said. "A ringmaster finally noticed me and saved me from the streets. He gave me food and shelter and so many new clothes and all kinds of friends… he gave me a home. He made my dream come true."

"There's a catch to this, ain't there?" Cagney replied sympathetically.

"I didn't even know there was a catch. I was just so happy! The ringmaster was a good man. Everybody who met him loved him. He was very nice… as long as you didn't make him mad. He got mean and yelled and called you names when he got mad."

"I take it he got mad often?"

"Of course not! Whenever he did get mad, he'd feel bad and apologize! And he'd buy us wonderful presents to make up for it! Even so, us carnies did our very best to please him. All we had was each other… we didn't have anywhere else to go, and nowhere better. That's what he told us. He was right, you know… hahaha..."

Cagney didn't like where this was going. He didn't trust this so-called "great" ringmaster and was half-tempted to trash him, but he opted instead to keep rubbing Beppi's back.

"One day, I was juggling for an audience. Suddenly I heard a commotion from somewhere in the carnival. I ran over to see what was the matter, and one of our elephants got loose! She was spanking a boy! No one knew what had gotten over Miss Lucy—she had never acted like this before! I wondered why she wasn't with her new baby Jumbolina… then I found her hiding in some hay, terrified and shaking. It turned out she had some cans tied to her tail! No wonder Miss Lucy was so mad! It's not easy to calm an angry elephant, but the carnies and I managed to bring Lucy and Jumbolina to safety. It turned out the boy had friends with him who had joined him in bullying poor Jumbolina, and we told their parents they couldn't come to the carnival anymore. All's well that ends well, right?"

Beppi chuckled nervously.

"When the ringmaster heard what happened, he was… not happy. He told me I should've stayed put and stop messing everything up. ‘You're a clown! It's your job to make people laugh, not play hero for a bunch of elephants!' I cost him customers, he said, and he had to deal with angry parents whose kids were banned from the circus."

"Right. A measly three or five brats who would've fucked things up and make him lose even _more_ customers." Cagney grumbled.

"Exactly! And Lucy might've been framed or worse, and Jumbolina would've been without a mother!" Beppi cried. "The ringmaster… he didn't care about that. All that mattered to him was I didn't follow orders. So he did what he usually did when I did something wrong. He… he punished me."

"That's…" Cagney murmured. "That's..."

"He used a whip that time." Beppi hid his face on his stem. "I never forgot how much it hurt."

"That's _disgusting."_ The flower choked out. "Beppi, I… I'm so sorry. I never knew."

"That's why I'm telling you. So you know." Beppi smiled weakly. "It's not even the worst part of the story. I'm getting there though!"

"Where is that guy? If he comes near you again, I'm going to tear him into a million pieces! Hell, why wait? Just for what he did to you, I'll make sure he wishes he was never born!"

Beppi frozen.

"Sorry about that… was I out of line?" Cagney asked. "I won't open my big mouth again… Beppi? Beppi?"

The clown laughed. He laughed and laughed and laughed. His teeth flashed and his eyes were wild, and he couldn't stop laughing. He laughed so hard he clutched his stomach, tears streaming down his face. But there was no mirth in it. No pleasure. Just a series of empty outbursts from a miserable young man.

Typically, if someone else had been in Cagney's shoes, they would've been frightened by Beppi's response. But the flower remained unfazed and he waited for his partner to calm down. Eventually, the clown exhausted himself, sniffling as he dug around for his handkerchief again. Cagney found it and offered it to him.

"What happened next?" The flower asked.

"That's when I met King Dice," Beppi answered after he blew his nose. "He'd been wandering around the carnival and he paid me to make a purple balloon giraffe. I heard he was bad news… but after last night and being forced to work despite my back, I'd been willing to take help from anyone. On my break, I sneaked into the casino and met the Devil himself. I told him I wanted to be strong—strong enough so someone like the ringmaster couldn't hurt me again. We made a deal and I signed the contract."

"At first, everything seemed fine. The ringmaster was back to his nice cheery self and I wondered if maybe it had been a bad dream. Was it necessary to protect myself from something that wouldn't happen again, if it even happened at all? Did I waste the Devil's time? What if I had injured _myself_ with the whip? There are carnies who are interested in that stuff, you know!" Beppi sighed and took a deep breath. "I can't remember what the ringmaster was mad at me for. Everything happened so fast! I was scared and climbing the ladder and running to the top of the tent. I wanted to lose him or tire him out, but he kept catching up! He even followed me on the tightrope... I panicked and pushed him off."

The clown shivered.

"Usually… we have a net in case someone falls, right? It's made out of the strongest spider silk. But the spider must have used the wrong thread because the ringmaster got his leg stuck and couldn't get out. I-I told him to wait. I told him I… I was going to get help. He—he needed t-to… stay still. He kept screaming. I k-k-knew… I k-knew I was in t-t-trouble. F-Fired, even. I-I ran as fast as I could… b-b-but when we got there, he… he tried cutting himself free, and… and..."

He buried his face in his hands.

"I… I d-didn't mean for this to h-happen. He… he was just… h-h-hanging there..."

He sunk to his knees, heaving. His voice was tiny and strangled with sobs.

_"I killed him. I killed him…"_

"Beppi..."

"I want to take it back. _I want to take it back._ But I can't. _I can't._ I can only pay with my soul… the Devil said not to leave him and Dice hanging… haha… hahaha..."

"..."

"I killed him… I killed him… and I almost killed the two cups too..."

"You were protecting yourself, Beppi. That's a better reason than most of us have." Cagney said, holding him. "Who knows? If you didn't push back, the ringmaster might've killed _you._ I know it's harsh, but… the world is a better place with _you_ in it. Not him."

"I'm a terrible clown! I'm supposed to make people laugh, not mess everything up! I’m not supposed to _kill people!"_

"You're not the only one who wanted to be stronger." Cagney comforted. "I couldn't stand being a weakling… I thought if I was invincible, no one could hurt me anymore. I believed it so much I sold my soul for it. And well… look where it's gotten me. It made me a jackass. But you… you don't deserve all this pain and eternal damnation. I wouldn't even have felt sorry if I killed the ringmaster myself. Shaken, maybe. But I wouldn't have felt the grief that you do. That's… how far gone I am, I guess."

"I… I was supposed to cheer you up—to help you forget how much it hurts before we go to Inkwell Hell. I failed..."

"Beppi, you didn't fail. If anything, you're the best damn clown in the world. It's not because you crack me up—though okay, I admit it. You do."

"Hahaha..." Beppi sniffled, the revelation cheering him somewhat. "I knew you secretly liked my jokes! You tried to hide it, but it's soooooooooo obvious!"

"Whatever. Look… it's because you care. You listen. That's more important than a talent for jokes. Remember that one time at the carnival you saw a pathetic crying flower with his petals ripped off? And you made him a crown out of balloon petals to wear for free?"

"Maybe..." Beppi put his hand on his chin. "Wait… yes! I remember now!"

"That flower was me, Beppi."

Beppi peered up at Cagney in awe.

"Well I'll be..." The clown smiled as one last tear rolled down his cheek. He stood up so he could hug the flower and kiss his stem.

"We still got the rest of the night." Cagney pecked his partner on the head, rubbing his face with the handkerchief. "So… Whaddaya say? Since we're going to hell anyway, wanna keep bein' naughty?"

"Ooooh, that's right! We got some unfinished business, don't we?" Beppi smirked, tossing aside the handkerchief when he was done with it.

"What did the clown ask the flower before they fucked?" Cagney's mischievous toothy grin glistened in the moonlight.

"‘Are you _bouquet_ with this?'" Beppi giggled, stroking his stem. "Though we already know the answer..."

"Yeah! Now let's get _lei'd.'"_ Cagney planted his hands back underground, and the garden of vines sprouted back as though they've never left. As twisted the vines and eager the flower was though, he didn't want to do anything to scare Beppi again. "So uh… we know what we want. What _shouldn't_ I do? What do you hate?"

"What do you mean? I'm up for any—oh." Beppi lowered his head in thought. "I heard something crack. I thought—I thought I was being whipped again."

Guilt and understanding crossed Cagney's face as he lifted the pieces of the broken log from earlier and tossed them into the woods.

"Sorry about that. If ya hear anythin' like it again, it's probably just a twig or somethin'. I will NOT hit you. If I do anythin' with my vines that hurts or scares ya, I'll slow down and stop, okay?" Two of Cagney's vines had a large leaf, which he used to brush Beppi's cheeks. "I'm gonna make ya feel so good that no torture the Devil can do will ever make it go away." He leaned in and locked his lips with his.

Beppi melted into the kiss, falling limp to be consumed by the vines. The plants whorled around the clown's ankles, climbing up his knees and thighs... they curled around his erection and squeezed the breaths out of him, then advanced to his waist and bent him upright so Cagney could see his flustered face.

"Liking this so far, my little clown?" The flower smirked.

"Yesss… yes!" Beppi gasped. He wriggled in his binds, looking for Cagney's cone. But what ended up stealing his attention was a small slit beneath the cone—it secreted the same sticky substance as the vines and smelled strongly of chlorophyll. The clown brushed it with his fingers and licked them clean, finding it had the same oddly addictive flavor of honeysuckle, yet it tasted more like leaves… Cagney hissed and sucked his breath through his teeth as Beppi carefully circled the area around the entrance, then put his fingers inside.

"Does this hurt?" Beppi asked, watching his expression.

"Don't stop…" Cagney panted. "Don't you _dare_ stop!"

Beppi inserted his fingers deeper, encouraged by the flower's ravenous walls. He developed a rhythm, easily pushing back and forth in increasing speed—he cried out as the vines tightened their grip around his cock, pumping him as he progressed pleasuring his partner. The clown withdrew his fingers, just to dive back and lavish the flower with his lips and tongue… the leafiness was stronger this time, and to Beppi, it was like kissing nature itself. A wild blush burned Cagney's cheeks, and he was so overwhelmed he would've covered his face if his hands weren't already buried—not that it would've helped him any, considering the blush had already spread to his hot and aching cone.

"Oh god… oh god Beppi, Beppi!" Cagney babbled. "God, please… Beppi! Fuck me, Beppi! Please god, please fuck me, Beppi!"

"You mean, you want me to…?" Beppi asked, holding his cock and pointing to the slit.

"Yes, please yes, oh god fuck yes…!"

Cagney's vines released Beppi's erection to help him get in position. The clown braced himself, gripping the flower's cone with one hand and his stem with the other. He took several deep breaths, but nothing prepared him for the delicious heat waiting for him as soon as he lunged inside.

Cagney choked on his cries, practically gushing around Beppi. His cone drenched itself in nectar, submerging the clown's hand… how on earth had he come so quickly? Not that it mattered—he still had plenty of stamina, and his second wind would arrive soon enough. Beppi looked pleased and proud, gazing up at Cagney with twinkling eyes and a warm radiant smile. He returned to his work, enamored with how the flower pulsed around him and welcomed him so readily… each buck of his hips seemed to cast a spell on him, burying him in a world where just him, Cagney, and the cloud of their carnal feelings existed.

"Cagney…?" he huffed between thrusts. "I… I want you inside me again… please..."

The flower wasted no time granting Beppi's wish. The vines opened his legs again so another could prod his entrance and work its way in—the clown groaned in ecstasy as the plant writhed inside him, pounding and pounding his most sensitive spots… sandwiched between the stem and the vine, Beppi worked in tandem with Cagney, thrusting together to ensure the most satisfying delirium. His balls smacked against the stem with every plunge, and his hand accelerated over the flower's cone as though they were fated to meet. Cagney and Beppi were reduced to incomprehensible cries as they hurried toward their peak—with a helpless mewl, Beppi was the first to go, stars flashing across his eyes… the flower threw his head back as a drizzle of pollen puffed around him, his walls clenching the clown while his cone bathed in nectar anew.

To say they were a mess was the understatement of the year. Sticky with nectar and yellow patches of pollen, Beppi barely managed to withdraw from Cagney, wobbling and giggling as he tried to sit up. He tumbled backward onto the vines, which only added to his mirth. Cagney couldn't help giggle along with him—as the clown had taught him, laughter was contagious. The flower picked up Beppi back on his stem before putting his vines away, wrapping himself around him like a giant cat. Cagney purred as Beppi nuzzled against him, nuzzling back and affectionately licking the nectar from his head.

"Hey Cagney… how much does the clown love the flower?"

"I don't know, but I can tell you how much the flower loves the clown… ‘bunches.'"

"Yes! Bunches! I love you ‘bunches' too!" Beppi giggled. "No matter what happens, I'm so glad I've met you, Cagney."

"Yeah… me too, Beppi." Cagney returned his sleepy satiated smile. "Me too."


End file.
